green mark bca

7/31/2019 Green Mark BCA

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MEDIA RELEASE

BCA LAUNCHES GREEN MARK FOR BUILDINGS SCHEME

Announced by Mr Cedric Foo, Minister of State (National Development and

Defence) in the Opening Address at the Construction & Property Prospects

Seminar (organised by BCA and REDAS) on 11 January 2005

1. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has launched a Green Mark

for Buildings Scheme (Green Mark) as a bold initiative to move Singapore’s building

and construction industry towards environment-friendly buildings and help strengthen

Singapore’s position as a global city committed to balancing its development with

care for the environment.

2. The introduction of the Green Mark is timely in view of the growing global

concern on sustainable development and increasing interest in green buildings.

Green Mark provides a platform for the construction industry to demonstrate its

commitment to an environment-friendly approach in developing and building

Singapore’s urban landscape.

3. The Green Mark for Buildings Scheme, which is supported by the NationalEnvironment Agency, will demonstrate the building and construction industry’s

commitment towards sustainable development.

Objectives of the Green Mark

4. The Green Mark for Buildings Scheme has three key objectives:

• Promote environmental sustainability in the construction industry and raise the

awareness among developers, building owners and industry professionals on

the environmental impact of their projects.

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• Accord recognition to building owners and developers who adopt building

practices that are environmentally conscious and socially responsible.

• Identify best practices in the development, design, construction, management

and operation of “green” buildings. These practices have potential cost

benefits and will be shared with the rest of the industry.

Benefits to Developers and Building Owners

5. Building owners and developers of green buildings will reap savings in terms

of lower operating costs with less water and energy being consumed. Those living

and working in green buildings will enjoy improved indoor environmental quality as

well. Studies in the US indicated that energy savings of 20-50% is possible,

depending on the extent of energy-efficient features used, and water savings of up to

30%. Better indoor environmental quality also raises worker productivity due to lower

work absenteeism.

6. Besides these tangible benefits, the Green Mark will also recognise building

owners and developers who are more socially responsible in caring for the

environment.

7. Case studies were done on a few buildings in Singapore. Below are some

examples of “green” features such as energy efficient lighting systems and water

efficient systems (see Annexes A and B on typical features of green commercial and

residential buildings):

• Nanyang Polytechnic's approach towards resource conservation and energy

efficiency has resulted in cost savings of about $2 million over five years.

Environment-friendly features include effective management of air-

conditioning system, innovative landscape lightings and efficient landscape

watering system.

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• Biopolis, part of the one-north research & innovations hub, incorporates a

district cooling system to provide centralised cooling to reduce energy

consumption by 10-15 % as well as to optimise the use of space. The

development also features the use of solar panels, environment-friendly

pneumatic waste system and use of solar-powered LED lights for its

landscaping.

• Savannah Park condominium is designed with consideration for the

environment. For example, it has incorporated energy efficient features such

as the use of solar panels for the project’s clubhouse, and pneumatic waste

disposal system for a healthier environment. The developer, City

Developments Limited, also practises transplanting of trees as a means for

ecological conservation, and promotes recycling among residents by

providing recycling facilities.

Green Mark Assessment and Rating

8. The Green Mark scheme will be applicable to both new and existing buildings.

Under the Green Mark scheme, new buildings will be assessed under five key

criteria – (1) Energy Efficiency, (2) Water Efficiency, (3) Site and Project

Development and Management, (4) Indoor Environmental Quality and Environmental

Protection, and (5) Innovation. Existing buildings will be assessed under similar

criteria except that Site and Project Development and Management will be replaced

with Building Management and Operations (see Annex A for more details on the

criteria). These are key criteria that are commonly adopted for assessment of green

buildings in the United States, United Kingdom and Australia.

9. Buildings that apply for the Green Mark will be assessed prior to the award,

and thereafter, they will be assessed once every two years to maintain the Green

Mark. This is to ensure that buildings continue to be well maintained and managed.

10. There will be four levels of rating – Platinum Star, Platinum, Gold and Silver –

depending on how well a building met the Green Mark criteria. Buildings achieving

the highest Platinum Star level are those recognised as exceptional buildings in

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Singapore, which have incorporated extensive environment-friendly features. These

buildings provide a model “green building” for the industry to emulate.

11. BCA will also use the Green Mark scheme as the basis for further research on

the impact of green buildings, and collaborate with the industry to develop a design

guide for green buildings to help developers, building owners and industry

professionals to adopt environment-friendly features in building designs.

Buildings Planning for Green Mark Assessment

12. Several private sector developers and public sector agencies have indicated

interest to have their buildings assessed under the Green Mark scheme. These

include City Developments, Wing Tai Asia, Jurong Town Corporation, National

Library Board, Nanyang Polytechnic and Alexandra Hospital. BCA will begin

assessing the buildings this month, and the first Green Mark awards will be given out

at the BCA Awards in May 2005.

Annexes

Annexes A and B Typical Features in a Green Building – Commercial and

Residential

Annex C Details on the Green Mark Assessment Scheme

Issued by the Building and Construction Authority on 10 January 2005.

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Annex C

The Green Mark for Buildings SchemeThe Green Mark Scheme is developed by BCA as a green building rating system to evaluate the

environmental impact and performance of buildings in Singapore. Green Mark is aimed at promoting

sustainable development for the construction industry.

Green Mark Assessment System

The Green Mark assessment system is based on a point scoring approach. The total number of

points obtained provides a benchmark of the building’s environmental performance and allows

comparison between buildings.

The assessment system will have criteria for two categories: New Buildings and Existing Buildings.

For new buildings, developers and designers can design and construct green and sustainable

buildings with consideration for energy and water efficiency, healthier indoor environments and

adoption of greenery for their projects. For existing buildings, building owners or managers can

review their state of their buildings and implement new measures or systems to improve their

environmental performance.

Buildings will be awarded the Green Mark based on the number of points scored.

Green Mark Rating Points Scored

Platinum Star 90 and abovePlatinum 75 to <90

Gold 65 to <75

Silver 55 to <65

Details of the Green Mark assessment criteria are provided in Tables 1 & 2.

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Table 1: Green Mark Assessment Criteria for New Buildings

Category Key Criteria Points

Design for EnergyEfficiency

Green landscaping and rooftop gardens, building envelopedesign, energy efficiency index, electrical sub-metering, tenancysub-metering, energy efficient features (a/c, lightings, etc), officelighting zoning.

30

Design for WaterEfficiency

Water efficient building appliances & equipment, water usage andleak detection, water efficient landscaping, cooling tower waterconsumption

20

Site /ProjectDevelopment &Management

Restoration & conservation of site ecology, CONQUAS, publictransport accessibility, environmental management system,environment friendly materials, building users’ guide

20

Design for GoodIndoorEnvironmentalQuality &

EnvironmentalProtection

Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide monitoring and control,high frequency ballasts, electric lighting levels, thermal comfort,internal noise levels, Indoor air pollutants, refrigerant ozonedepletion potential, refrigerant leak detection & recovery.

15

Innovation Innovation in design 15

Total 100

Table 2: Green Mark Assessment Criteria for Existing Buildings

Category Key Criteria Points

BuildingManagement &Operation

Maintenance & enhancement of site ecology, building conditionassessment, environmental policy, building maintenance &operation, building users’ guide, public transport accessibility,occupant recycling, public health

25

Energy EfficientPerformance

Green landscaping and rooftop gardens, energy efficiency index,energy consumption monitoring, electrical sub-metering, tenancysub-metering, energy efficient features

25

Water EfficientPerformance

Water consumption measurement & verification, water efficientbuilding appliances & equipment, water efficient landscaping

15

IndoorEnvironmental

Quality &EnvironmentalProtection

Carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide monitoring & control, highfrequency ballasts, electric lighting levels, thermal comfort,

internal noise levels, indoor air quality audits, refrigerant ozonedepletion potential, refrigerant leak detection & recovery.

15

Innovation Innovation in design, maintenance and management technologiesand application

20

Total 100

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Elaboration on Assessment Criteria

(a) Energy Efficiency

Energy efficiency is intended to encourage the greater use of energy efficient design and features that

help to reduce the potential energy consumption of a building. Use of greenery in landscaping areas

or rooftop gardens is also recognised, as these have potential impact on lowering ambienttemperature. Energy efficient buildings contribute to reduction in the consumption of non-renewable

energy sources and the related environmental impact such as emission of air pollutants. For existing

buildings, monitoring of energy consumption and plans to improve is required.

(b) Water Efficiency

Water efficiency encourages buildings to adopt water efficient features, which can help to reduce the

use of water for building operations and landscape irrigation, where applicable. The category reflects

the importance of this resource in Singapore’s context. For existing buildings, the monitoring of water

consumption and plans for improvement are important considerations.

(c) Site/Project Development & Management (for New Buildings)

This criterion refers to the process of development and construction of new buildings. It includes site

planning, environmental management at sites, use of environment-friendly materials, construction

techniques and site restoration or preservation. This is to ensure an environment-friendly approach in

the construction process.

(d) Building Management & Operation (for Existing Buildings)This category covers the management and operations of a building after completion. A good

management programme is required to ensure that the building is well maintained and its

environment-friendly features continued to function. It also considers the role of building managers

and owners in promoting environmental awareness to occupants through programmes such as

occupant recycling and provision of building users’ guide to encourage tenants to adopt environment-

friendly practices.

(e) Good Indoor Environmental Quality & Environmental Protection

Buildings are also required to demonstrate that they are designed with consideration for indoor

environmental quality and environmental protection including thermal comfort, lighting levels, internal

noise level, indoor air quality checks and use of refrigerants.

(f) Innovation

Innovation points are given to encourage developers and designers to adopt state-of-the-art

environmental technologies for their projects.

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